Policy and Consultations:
2024 Consultations - Closed
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The IRRV responds to consultations that are relevant to the membership and profession across all the Institute’s faculties. Most consultations of interest are issued by the UK national governments on legislative matters, but responses can be made to papers emanating from the private and non-profit sectors and from international bodies.
This work is undertaken under the guidance of the Law and Research Portfolio Holder. Drafting is developed with the input of the Institute’s Faculty Board members. Issues being consulted upon can often span the interests of two or more Boards; it is a strength of the Institute’s responses that they reflect that wider professional viewpoint.
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Freeport and Investment Zone employer National Insurance contributions reliefs [GB]
This technical consultation was of interest to employers, businesses and their advisors who are operating at Freeport and Investment Zone special tax sites. It was also of interest to payroll software developers.
The draft regulations introduced a new reporting requirement for Freeport and Investment Zone employers who claim the NICs reliefs to provide a workplace postcode for employees they claim the NICs reliefs in respect of.
The consultation could be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freeport-and-investment-zone-employer-national-insurance-contributions-reliefs?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=37434c4f-c6d0-4f09-8b62-588bd3327aef&utm_content=daily
The consultation closed on Wednesday 15 May 2024.
Responses could be sent to nics.correspondence@hmrc.gov.uk.
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Proposed changes to land transaction tax reliefs [Wales]
The Welsh Government welcomed views on proposals to abolish land transaction tax (LTT) multiple-dwellings relief, and to extend an existing LTT relief to Welsh local authorities when purchasing property for social housing purposes. The Welsh Government was also interested in views on the option of amending the rules related to the purchase of 6 or more dwellings in a single transaction, and options to review or amend other LTT reliefs. The Welsh Government will make a statement regarding the next steps once the consultation has closed and the responses have been considered.
The consultation could be found at: Proposed changes to land transaction tax reliefs | GOV.WALES
The deadline for response was 19 May 2024.
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Proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme [Wales]
Support with Council Tax payments through the Welsh Government’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme (‘the scheme’) is an important part of welfare support for households on low incomes. The scheme, which is administered locally by councils, has historically had low take-up from potentially eligible residents and the number of households receiving a Council Tax reduction continues to fall.
This technical consultation proposed a number of changes to the scheme to make it easier to access and simpler to administer. Nothing in this consultation placed new restrictions on existing eligibility for the scheme.
The consultation could be found here.
Closing date for responses was 6 June 2024.
The IRRV's response can be found here: IRRV-response-council-tax-reduction-scheme-Wales-May-2024.pdf
A Summary of Responses was published on 15 August 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.wales/proposed-changes-council-tax-reduction-scheme-summary-responses-html
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Modernising Support for Independent Living: the Health and Disability Green Paper [UK]
This consultation sought views on the approaches government should consider around modernising the welfare system for people with disabilities and health conditions.
The Department for Work & Pensions want to ensure that they have a welfare system that is fit for the future, a system that supports work for people who can, provides a safety net for people who need it, and that is fair to the taxpayer. This consultation sought views on whether they should make fundamental changes to how they support disabled people and people with health conditions, and whether their system delivers the right support to people most in need.
The consultation focused on the primary extra costs benefit that provides support to adults of working age with the additional costs of having a disability or long-term health condition: Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The views shared during this consultation period wereused to help shape the future of the health and disability benefits system.
The paper could be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper#how-to-respond.
This consultation closed on 22 July 2024.
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Enforcement Conduct Board Standards Consultation [England and Wales]
As part of the ECB’s commitment to ensure everyone subject to enforcement action is treated fairly, they are producing a new set of standards for enforcement agents and enforcement agencies. This is so enforcement agents and people subject to enforcement action know what fair enforcement means in practice.
The new standards will launch in Autumn 2024 and will clearly set out their expectations for individual agents and agencies in the enforcement sector.
Meeting these standards will be a condition of their accreditation scheme. If a firm is found to not be following the standards, then they will have the option to remove their ECB accreditation.
The aim of the standards is to generate sustainable improvements to the enforcement sector, by incorporating existing good practice and setting clear expectations to ensure that there is a high standard of performance across the whole sector.
For agents, the standards build upon the existing National Standards and give clear guidance on what is expected of individual enforcement agents.
For enforcement firms, there will be clear expectations of the necessary outcomes and actions, while allowing room for innovation and adaptation.
For creditors, they won’t be introducing any new standards in the first instance. However, as they recognise the key role creditors play in the enforcement process, they will continue to engage with them with a view to consulting on relevant standards in 2025/26. In the meantime, the existing standards for creditors will continue to apply.
The consultation could be found at Standards - enforcementconductboard.
Closing date for responses was 5pm 13th September 2024.
The IRRV's response can be found here: IRRV_Response_ECB_Standards_Consultation_2024.pdf
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Data protection fee regime: proposed changes [UK]
This consultation sought views on the government’s proposals to amend the data protection fees that are payable by data controllers to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The proposals aimed to secure the financial resources required to support the ICO in fulfilling its functions under data protection legislation, including the:
- provision of guidance
- advice and support to organisations to enable compliance with data protection obligations
- and to achieve full cost recovery in line with HM Treasury’s principles on Managing Public Money.
They welcomed responses from interested individuals and organisations from across the UK. Given the focus of the consultation, they considered it to have particular relevance to:
- data controllers, including individuals and organisations across the private, public and the Civil Society and Voluntary
- community and social enterprise sectors, who are currently paying or expect to be required to pay a data protection fee in the future.
They recommended that you read the full consultation document before completing your response. Following this consultation, they will carefully consider views and evidence, which will inform their response.
The consultation could be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/data-protection-fee-regime-proposed-changes?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=c006b6ad-a52a-4078-a509-df44b1641a92&utm_content=daily
Closing date for responses was 3 October 2024.
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Call for Evidence for the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment [Scotland]
The Chair of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment sought evidence from a variety of audiences about the first year of delivery. This will be used to help inform recommendations to ensure that Adult Disability Payment meets the needs of disabled people.
The purpose of this call for evidence was to gather evidence from all interested parties to inform recommendations in relation to the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment. This call for evidence was primarily intended for organisations, although anyone could respond.
The call for evidence asked wider questions relating to Adult Disability Payment which will help to inform the Chair's recommendations. It also provided an opportunity for specific feedback in relation to the areas identified in the Terms of Reference as being specific focus for the review.
This call for evidence was divided into the following sections:
1. Factors affecting take-up of Adult Disability Payment
2. Pre-application support for Adult Disability Payment applications
3. Processing times for Adult Disability Payment applications
4. Decisions, re-determinations and appeals
5. Informing about a change of circumstances
6. Review periods
7. Other considerations
The call for evidence could be found at https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/call-for-evidence-adult-disability-payment-review/
This call for evidence was open until 23 August 2024.
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Consultation on the Extension of Job Share Provisions for Elected Members of Principal Councils to Non-Executive Roles [Wales]
Section 58 of, and Schedule 7 to, the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (“the Act”) amended the Local Government Act 2000 to require principal councils with executive arrangements to make provision enabling 2 or more councillors to share office on that executive, including the office of leader of the executive.
The Welsh Government proposed to introduce regulations to also allow job-sharing of certain non-executive roles within principal councils and wanted your views on these proposals.
The consultation could be found at https://www.gov.wales/extension-job-share-provisions-elected-members-principal-councils-non-executive-roles
Closing date for responses was 4 October 2024.
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Civil Justice Council Call for Evidence on Enforcement [UK]
The Civil Justice Council Enforcement Working Group launched a Call for Evidence.
The Call for Evidence closed on 16 September at 11:59pm. Find out more about the Call for Evidence.
The CJC’s statutory functions include (a) keeping the civil justice system under review, and (b) considering how to make the civil justice system more accessible, fair, and efficient. The working group sought to understand policy landscape for enforcement and identify and recommend to CJC areas of further inquiry if necessary.
The full list of Call for Evidence questions is below (Annex A to the Call for Evidence paper provides a list of enforcement of domestic judgments for reference (including orders for sale in charging orders); this work is not considering possession orders).
Your experience and awareness of enforcement
- Which enforcement methods do you have experience of, if any?
- Are there any barriers you have experienced in seeking to enforce or satisfy a judgment and, if so, what were they?
- Which of the attached enforcement mechanisms do you find to be most effective in obtaining a resolution, and why?
- Which of the attached enforcement mechanisms do you find to be least effective in obtaining a resolution, and why?
- Do you consider any of the attached enforcement mechanisms should be promoted as being more effective than others?
- Are there any enforcement mechanisms that you consider should be amended or varied to make them more appropriate for modern litigation from the perspective of either the creditor or the debtor?
- Do you consider that there should be further measures attached to any of the current enforcement mechanisms to ensure greater fairness and/or protections fordebtors?
- Do you have experience of the court enforcement mechanisms interacting with debt collection standards and practices outside the courtsystem?
- Do you consider that the court enforcement mechanisms need to take into account debt collection standards and practices outside the court system and, if so, in what circumstances and in what ways?
- If court enforcement is to take into account debt collection outside the court system, what practical steps do you consider should be undertaken?
Supply of information about potential judgment debtors
- What steps, if any, do you consider the court could and should undertake to encourage greater engagement of potential judgment debtors (given the high number of default judgments)? [NB the Civil Justice Council (CJC) is reporting separately on pre-action protocols (PAP) including the debt protocol and the PAP is therefore not addressed in this list ofquestions.]
- Should the court require details of a defendant at the commencement of proceedings in order to ascertain whether a defendant could satisfy a potential judgment? (For example, by specific questions being including in the Directions Questionnaire, including details of any debts being enforced outside the court system);
- If information about the means of a potential debtor is sought early in proceedings, what information would you consider to be helpful?
- What experience, if any, have you had with making use of the provisions of CPR part 71 (orders to obtain information from judgment debtors)?
- If you have used the provisions of part 71 to obtain information about a judgment debtor’s means, have you found the process effective?
- If not effective, why not, and what changes would you make to the provisions relating to obtaining information from judgment debtors and does there need to be an amendment to part 71?
- What would you consider to be an appropriate sanction/appropriate sanctions for a judgment debtor who fails to provide information to questions raised by the court?
- If judgment is obtained, should the court provide details of the judgment debtor with the claimant at the time of judgment and, if so, what details should be provided (if any)?
- What safeguards should be put in place with respect to any data sharing to ensure that it is reasonable and proportionate and not unfairly detrimental to the debtor?
- Should the court have a role, independent of any applications made by any creditor, in obtaining details of the debtor?
- Should the court and/or the judgment creditor be given access to information held by HMCTS and the DWP (or other government departments or agencies) to gather financial information on the judgment debtor?
- What safeguards should be put in place to protect the individual with respect to financial information held by HMCTS and the DWP (or other government departments or agencies) and their privacy?
- Should the court and/or the judgment creditor be given access to information held by third parties, such as banks and credit agencies, to gather financial information on judgment debtors?
- What safeguards should be put in place to protect the individual with respect to financial information held by third parties, such as banks and credit agencies, and their privacy?
- Would you welcome a change to legislation to allow either (17) or (19) above, which would include safeguards suggested under (18) and (20) above?
- What other protections do you consider should be available to the judgment debtor to prohibit all, or some, financial information being available either to the court or to the judgment creditor?
Support for debtors
- Are you aware of any support or information provided to debtors following a judgment?
- If so, what is that support or information?
- What, if any, (additional) information and support do you consider should be made available to debtors and at what stage?
- Are there any particularly vulnerable debtors who you consider need additional support. If so, how are those vulnerable debtors identified and what support do you consider is required?
- What do you consider the most efficient and effective ways of disseminating information to debtors?
i) through court documentation at the commencement of the action;
ii) through court documentation at time of judgment;
iii) through bailiffs or enforcement officers;
iv) all the above?
v) any further means of communication?
- If the defendant engages with the court process, should the court be proactive in providing a telephone advice service, or other access to free advice through third parties, in order to potentially facilitate early resolution?
Any proposed improvements
- Do you consider there should be any changes to the system of enforcing judgments, or should the status quo be maintained?
- If you consider there should be changes, what changes do you feel should be made to make enforcement more accessible, fair and efficient?
- Whether you consider there should be changes or not, what, if any, additional safeguards and advice should be given to debtors?
- Whether you consider there should be changes or not, what, if any, additional information should be given to creditors about methods of enforcement?
- As the majority of debt judgments are judgments in default, what further steps do you consider could and/or should be taken to encourage defaulters (potential judgment debtors) to engage in the court process at an early, or any,stage?
- Are there any other areas of enforcement that you feel could be improved and in what way and by which method(s)?
General
- Please set out any additional comments you would like to make about the current system of enforcing money judgments in court. These comments can expand upon the questions raised above or raise new issues.
- Please set out any current difficulties that you identify with the system of enforcement and outline any potential improvements you consider appropriate for either the creditor or the debtor
The IRRV's response can be found here: IRRV_Response_CJC_Call_for_Evidence_2024.pdf
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Technical Consultation on the VAT and Business Rates Changes Affecting Private Schools [UK]
The government published a technical note outlining the design, scope, and expected impact of applying 20% VAT to private school fees across the UK and removing the business rates charitable rates relief for private schools in England. This technical note was intended to provide clarity to those schools and families who will be impacted by these changes.
Draft legislation on the VAT policy change, accompanied by an explanatory note, was published alongside this technical note. The government welcomed comments from interested stakeholders on the questions contained within the technical note, and on the draft VAT legislation to ensure it achieves the government’s policy objectives.
The five questions contained within this consultation were:
- Question 1: Does the above definition of private schools capture all private schools across the UK?
- Question 2: Does this definition inadvertently capture any organisations that this policy does not intend to capture?
- Question 3: Does the above “connected persons” test capture the relationships that exist between private schools and third parties?
- Question 4: Does this “connected persons” test inadvertently capture any relationships that it is not intended to capture?
- Question 5: Does this approach achieve the intended policy aims across all four UK nations?
The consultation could be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=727c31b3-fdb1-4461-b624-2cdd15aac757&utm_content=daily
Closing date for responses was 15 September.
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Consultation on ECB approach to Complaints Handling and Sanctions [England and Wales]
The ECB launched their consultation on how they will run their new complaints process and set out their expectations of enforcement firms when handling complaints.
They created a new set of standards for the enforcement sector, which include details on how firms should handle complaints.
They then consulted on guidance that will accompany the complaints standards. This included a provision that firms should provide only one formal response to a complaint before it can be escalated.
They were keen to hear your thoughts on these proposals. You can review the consultation here.
The consultation closed at 5pm on Thursday 7th November 2024.
The IRRV's response can be found here: IRRV_Response_ECB_Complaints_Consultation_2024.pdf -
Consultation on MaPS proposals for the delivery of its debt advice strategy [England]
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) consulted on its proposals for the delivery of its debt advice strategy.
The consultation set out MaPS' approach to debt advice up to 2028. It explored how they interpret their remit in relation to debt advice and the role that they could take in working with the wider debt sector on some of the key issues and challenges identified.
The consultation could be found at https://maps.org.uk/en/publications/consultations-and-responses/2024/consultation-on-MaPS-proposals-for-delivery-of-debt-advice-strategy#
The closing date for responses was 3rd April 2024.
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Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill Consultation [Wales]
Senedd Cymru’s Local Government and Housing Committee released a consultation scrutinising the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill.
Specifically, the Bill scrutinised:
- The general principles of the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill and whether there is a need for legislation to deliver the Bill’s stated policy objectives (see the Bill page for further details).
- Any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions, and whether the Bill and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment take adequate account of them.
- Whether there are any unintended consequences arising from the Bill.
- The Welsh Government’s assessment of the financial and other impacts of the Bill as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum.
- The appropriateness of the powers in the Bill for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation (as set out in Part 1: Chapter 5 of the Explanatory Memorandum).
- Matters relating to the competence of the Senedd including compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights.
- The balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation.
- Any matter related to the quality of the legislation.
- Any other matter related to the constitutional or other implications of the Bill.
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline for response was 15th January 2024. The IRRV response is at IRRV_Response_LGFBill_150123.pdf
On 15th March 2025, the Local Government and Housing Committee’s Stage 1 report on the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill was published here.
Having considered the evidence presented on the broad range of provisions in this Bill, it was concluded that, on balance, and taken in its entirety, they support its general principles. However, it is evident that there are a number of areas on which further consideration by the Welsh Government is necessary. This report details their consideration of each of the provisions within the Bill and their subsequent recommendations, which seek to make the improvements they believe are needed to strengthen this legislation.
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Consultation on draft Statutory Instrument: The English Drainage Boards (Alternative Valuation Calculation) Regulations 2024 [England]
Internal drainage boards (IDBs), which are locally funded and operated statutory public bodies, are responsible in their area of operation, for water level management and managing flood risk. There are 112 independent IDBs in England and they are mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work, through drainage rates on agricultural landowners and special levies on local authorities.
IDBs use a land valuation calculation to apportion their expenses between landowners and local authorities. This is based on historic ratings data which is missing or incomplete and is preventing new IDBs from being created and existing IDBs from expanding their boundaries.
To address this, the government has made a technical change to the Land Drainage Act 1991, via the Environment Act 2021, setting out a new valuation calculation which enables the use of more up-to-date data from the Valuation Office Agency. This approach will apply to drainage rates and special levies, to ensure consistency in the apportionment of expenses.
The consultation started on 7 March 2024 and was open for a period of 6 weeks closing on 19 April 2024.
The consultation could be found at: Consultation on draft Statutory Instrument: The English Drainage Boards (Alternative Valuation Calculation) Regulations 2024 - Defra - Citizen Space
The IRRV response is at IRRV_response_Consultation_on_IDB-regs.pdf
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Consultation on ECB’s draft 2024/25 Business Plan [England and Wales]
ECB’s draft Business Plan for 2024/25 was open for consultation.
This consultation paper introduced the Enforcement Conduct Board’s (ECB) draft business plan for 2024/25. The 2024/25 business plan was the second of their full business plans. A draft was presented in Annex A to this consultation, which set out their key strategic priorities and planned deliverables for the year ahead.
The consultation could be found at https://enforcementconductboard.org/our-work/#businessplan
Closing date for responses was 4 April 2024.
The IRRV response is at IRRV_response_Consultation_on_ECB_Business_Plan_030424.pdf
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Including Claimant Data on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Consultation [England and Wales]
The government consulted on a proposal to include the claimant’s name in entries about money judgments on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
The consultation sought views on:
- the potential benefits of including claimant names on the Register
- any potential disadvantages and/or risks to either the claimant or defendant as a result of the publication of this data.
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline for response was 16th January 2024.
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Mental Health Moratorium: consultation [Scotland]
The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill contains powers which would allow Scottish Ministers to create a Mental Health Moratorium. This would protect people with serious mental health issues from debt recovery action. Scottish Government sought views on the proposed process for a Mental Health Moratorium.
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline for response was 22 January 2024.
The IRRV response is at IRRV_Response_Mental_Health_Moratorium_Final.docx
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Call for evidence issued on the Arbitration Bill [England and Wales]
The Special Public Bill Committee on the Arbitration Bill [HL] issued a call for evidence on the Bill.
The House of Lords has established a Special Public Bill Committee on the Arbitration Bill [HL]. The long title of the Bill is “Bill to Amend the Arbitration Act 1996”. Special Public Bill Committees are empowered to take written and oral evidence on a Bill before considering it.
The Committee welcomed views on the provisions contained within the Bill, and any other matters that would be considered to be relevant to the subject matter.
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline to submit written evidence was 6 February 2024.
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Consultation on a Fairer Council Tax: Phase 2 [Wales]
The Welsh Government were looking at different ways of bringing the Council Tax system up to date and making it fairer. This included the potential to introduce new Council Tax bands.
As part of their consultation, they sought views on:
• different approaches for new Council Tax bands
• regular updates to Council Tax in the future
• discounts and exemptions
• a more transparent system and a more effective appeals process
The purpose of the reforms would be to ensure that Council Tax contributions are more fairly spread and reflect the latest information available about economic circumstances. None of the approaches outlined in this consultation represented a revenue-raising exercise.
The Programme for Government and the Co-operation Agreement commit to reforming Council Tax to make it fairer and more progressive. It remains the firm intention of both the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru to make progress on the journey to a fairer system in Wales.
A more progressive tax looks to lower the share of tax paid by those who are less able to contribute, making things fairer. This may be difficult to achieve all at once, so we’re asking for your views about the approach we take to make the system fairer. The evidence shows the changes we’re proposing would reduce longstanding wealth inequalities created by an unfair system.
This consultation sought views on how and when changes to the basic structure of Council Tax in Wales should be made and update the property valuations used.
This consultation provided an update on reviews of these arrangements and proposals for:
• modernising the service provided to taxpayers
• taking powers to reform the system of discounts and reductions over time
• committing to retain the one-adult discount and to keep the level of discount at 25%
• changing the treatment of empty properties to remove the obligation on councils to offer a 50% discount on most empty properties (councils will maintain their discretion on caravans and houseboats, on homes where the owner has died and job-related dwellings)
• changing the time-limits for exemptions on properties in probate
• amending the language we use, and the system in place, to provide help to those with a ‘severe mental impairment’
• improving the Council Tax Reduction Scheme
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline for response was 6th February 2024.
The IRRV response is at fairer-council-tax-response-form-IRRV.pdf
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Consultation on Non-domestic and Domestic rating measures to support budget sustainability by raising additional revenue [Northern Ireland]
The Department of Finance launched a 14-week consultation on the revenue raising potential associated with the removal of rating measures.
The consultation followed a direction from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, directing Northern Ireland departments to launch public consultations on measures to support budget sustainability and raise additional revenue.
The Department sought views from those who may be directly affected and from the wider body of ratepayers. There were seven proposals for changes to rating measures identified by the Secretary of State:
Domestic sector: Early Payment Discount, Landlords Allowance, Maximum Capital Value cap.
Non-domestic sector: Non-domestic Vacant Rate relief, Industrial Derating, Freight Transport relief, Halls of Residence exemption.
The consultation could be found here.
The deadline for response was 13th February 2024.
The IRRV response is at IRRV_response_Consultation_on_Non-domestic_and_Domestic_rating_measures_to_support_budget_sustainability.pdf.
A Summary of Responses was published on 10 September 2024 and can be found at https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/news/rate-relief-consultation-report-published
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Land Transaction Tax Special Tax Sites Relief [Wales]
This consultation sought views on the Welsh Government’s proposals to amend the Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017. The amendments will provide a relief from land transaction tax for qualifying transactions within a designated Welsh special tax site.
Annex B set out the draft legislative provisions contained within The Land Transaction Tax (Relief for Special Tax Sites) (Wales) Regulations 202[4].
While there was no statutory duty to consult, consulting at this stage respected well established public law principles, as there was likely to be a legitimate expectation that the Welsh Government will consult on this matter. This consultation ran for a period of 8 weeks, which was shorter than the standard consultation period of 12 weeks. Given the technical and area specific nature of the draft legislative provisions, a shorter public consultation exercise was deemed reasonable in the circumstances.
The consultation could be found here.
The closing date for responses was 18 February 2024.
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Consultation on Water and Sewerage Charges [Northern Ireland]
The Department for Infrastructure launched a consultation on options for introducing water and sewerage charges.
The consultation, which had its content approved by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, provided an overview of potential water and sewerage charging revenue-raising options that could have been introduced in Northern Ireland, with a focus on creating sustainable public finances.
It set out and sought views on the main pathways through which water and sewerage charging could be introduced, how a relief scheme to protect vulnerable people might have been developed, and how charging might have been billed and collected.
It also asked about three other revenue-raising options:-
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Charging customers for domestic septic tank desludging.
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Recovering the cost of roads drainage from all customers.
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The removal of the domestic allowance for non-domestic customers.
All non-domestic customers in Northern Ireland are charged for water and those who discharge to the public sewer are also subject to sewerage charges, and trade effluent charges where applicable. In cases where a property is used for both non-domestic and domestic purposes, the use of water and sewerage is considered as non-domestic use.
A domestic allowance is a free volume of water and/or sewage which is subtracted from the volume as recorded by the meter, before calculating the volumetric charge. This revenue raising option would involve the removal of the allowance currently received by non-domestic customers for domestic usage, meaning that such customers would be required to pay more.
The consultation could be found here.
Closing date for responses was 13 March 2024.
The IRRV response is at IRRV_response_Consultation_on_Water_and_Sewerage_Charges_Northern_Ireland.pdf
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Land Transaction Tax Higher Residential Rates: Proposals to Amend the Refund and Exception Rules [Wales]
The Minister for Finance and Local Government intended to put before the Senedd a proposal to change land transaction tax rules to allow homebuyers, in specified difficult circumstances, extensions to the current 3-year periods.
The proposal will be put before the Senedd once the responses to this consultation have been considered.
The consultation could be found here.
The closing date for responses was 17 March 2024.
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RICS Draft Professional Standard: The valuation of licensed leisure property including public houses, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, 2nd edition [England & Wales]
RICS members and external stakeholders such as industry bodies, government, pub tenants and owners requested an update to the 2010 guidance note Valuation of licensed leisure property, including public houses, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, 1st edition. In a specialist market such as licensed leisure, the provision and consideration of professional advice can be complex.
This consultation was an opportunity to shape the updated professional standard related to the economically and culturally significant licensed leisure market sector, which has evolved substantially in recent years. It allowed people to give their views on what needs updating and how.
The consultation could be found at: Valuation of licenced leisure property 2nd edition (rics.org)
The deadline for response was 14 June 2024.
The Institute's response can be found here IRRV_Response_Consultation_on_Valuation_of_Licenced_Leisure_Property_2nd_Edition.pd
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Fit Note Reform: call for evidence [UK]
A call for evidence to inform a programme of work announced at the Autumn Statement in 2023. It was part of a wider suite of activity to reform the fit note and acted as a prelude to a full consultation on specific policy proposals which will be launched later this year.
The call for evidence could be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/fit-note-reform-call-for-evidence?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=95e98dfc-e490-4c45-ac95-3e5f354b9025&utm_content=daily
This call for evidence was open until 8 July 2024.